Oakland North Election Day Live Blog

Results: 

* The school board races and the District 3 and District 7 City Council races will head to ranked choice runoffs

Oakland City Council District Elections

 

District 1

Dan Kalb   54.21%    Steph Dominguez Walton   30.69%        Tri Ngo   13.91%

 

District 3

Carroll Fife   47.71%     Lynette Gibson McElhaney 31.57%       Seneca Scott  6.87% 

Meron Semedar  6.64%      Alexus Taylor  4.37%       Faye Taylor 2.28%

 

District 5

Noel Gallo  52.91%    Richard Santos Raya 30.51%      Zoe Lopez-Meraz  15.96%

 

District 7

Robert Bob  24.10%       Aaron Clay   15.55%       Marcie Hodge   13.57%

Marchon Tatmon   9.09%

 

Member, City Council At-Large

Rebecca Kaplan   48..76%      Derreck B. Johnson    42.02%  Nancy Sidebotham    7.28%

 

Oakland City Attorney

Barbara Parker  80.41%         Eli Ferran    19.13%

 

School Director

District 1

Sam Davis   46.86%   Austin Dannhaus   34.93%    Stacy Thomas   17.83%

 

District 3

Vancedric Williams   37.9%    Maiya Edgerly    26.38%     Cherisse Gash    18.37%   

Mark Hurty    9.17%      Maximo Santana     7.79%

 

District 5

Mike Hutchinson    40.63%     Leroy Roches Gaines  30.65%    Sheila Pope-Lawrence 17.54%        Jorge C. Lerma      10.96%

 

District 7

Clifford Thompson    29.43%     Ben Coach Tapscott    27.79%    Kristina Molina  19.49%   

Bronché Taylor    11.42%       Victor Javier Valerio   11.09%

 

Measures

Measure Z: City of Alameda, Housing

No 58.98%   Yes  41.02%

The city of Alameda voted to reject amendments to repeal the prohibitions against building multi-family housing and limits on density.

 

Measure QQ: City of Oakland, Youth Vote

Yes  67.13%      No 32.87%

The City of Oakland has voted to allow 16-year-olds to vote for Office of School Board Director

 

Measure RR: City of Oakland, Fine Limit

Yes 59.70%  No 40.30% 

The $1,000 cap on fines for violations of ordinances or the Oakland Municipal Code set for review by the city council.

 

Measure S1: City of Oakland, Police Commission

Yes 80.81%     No 19.12% 

Residents vote for the creation of Office of Inspector General investigate the city’s handling of complaints, investigations and lawsuits involving police misconduct

 

Measure GG: City of Berkeley, Ride Hailing Services Tax

Yes 60.05%    No 39.95%

New $0.50 tax per trip for all private trips originating from Berkeley and $0.25 per trip for shared trips through which the city hopes to raise $910,000 per year

 

Measure JJ: City of Berkeley, Mayor and City Councilmember Pay Increase 

Yes   64.50%      No   35.50%

City of Berkeley votes to increase the mayor and council members’ salaries — the mayor will now earn approximately $107,300 annually, up from $61,304, while council members will earn $67,599 from $38,695

 

Measure MM: City of Berkeley, Rent and Eviction

Yes  54.25%    No  45.75%

Reprieve for tenants during emergencies. Landlords are now prohibited from evicting tenants for not paying rent during a State or local emergency

 

 

 

 

And the polls have closed!

We’re signing off for the evening, back tomorrow morning.

 

Updates from Elmhurst Unified

Jovon Jenkins says there was a short line to vote but it moved quickly. He’s a pro-gun voter and votes Democrat.

“I wish there was a different party that was in between and that looks at both sides but we only have Democrats and Republicans,” he said.  

Carmen Salazar and Clifford Thompson hold signs up to get voters attention.

Thompson is a school board candidate for District 7. He’s been an educator for 40 years. He wants neighborhood schools and is in favor of Prop 16, (Should California end its ban on affirmative action?) “There’s been a lot of talking, I’m not sure there’s a lot of doing. I want an outcome,” he said.

Ryan Goldman, an election worker from Rock Ridge, said there has been a steady stream of voters coming in to the polling place at Elmhurst Unified. Most were just coming to drop off a ballot, but of those who did come to vote, no one had to wait in line.

Goldman said his wife is also a poll worker stationed in Castro Valley. He has been at the polls since 6 a.m. He plans to head home only after the polls close to watch the results.

– Reported by Ari Sen and Sabrina Kharrazi

 

Updates from the Oakland – Alameda County Coliseum

The Oakland sports complex is part of Alameda County’s efforts to make in-person voting safer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Across the state of California, traditional voting locations like classrooms or fire stations are being replaced with larger spaces like union halls and sports arenas. 

Two of the new sites, provided by the Oakland Athletics and Golden State Warriors, are the first sports locations in county history to be used for voting.

“So we have these large facilities and what is common about these facilities, they’re all large, they have large open spaces that allow for large numbers of voting booths or machines still remaining socially distant,” said David Becker, Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR), said at a media briefing on the election. “They’re actually in some ways ideal voting locations.”

According to Becker, spaces like the Coliseum and Warriors facility are not only spacious but also close to public transportation routes, accessible for voters with disabilities and have strong sources of electricity to power voting machines.

-Reported by Zachary Fletcher, Ari Sen and Sabrina Kharrazi

 

Updates from United for Success Academy 

At United For Success Academy, voting has been slow over the past three days. But it’s picked up today.

Paul Eulalia is a poll worker at the site, where almost 150 people have voted on election day. Close to 40 people voted at the site yesterday, around 10 on Sunday, and 30 on Saturday. Another worker at the site, Crystal Huey, has been working the polls since 2008. She said everyone has been following COVID-19 protocols.

Joey Tran, precinct captain at United for Success Academy, doesn’t expect to go home until after midnight tonight. This is his fifth election, and the United For Success Academy has seen around 20-25 voters per hour today. “There’s a lot of people who are first time voters,” said Tran. A lot of voters are visiting the site, registering to vote and then voting at the polling machines. Machines are wiped down after each use, and the supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other cleaning supplies has been steady.

-Reported by Ari Sen and Sabrina Kharrazi

Barbara Annvarner has worked on and off as poll worker since 1989. She says the presidential election is the most important to her. She brought her ballot to drop off in person at Success Academy. “I don’t dare mail this right now. I’m going to bring it in person and make sure it’s going where it has to go.” She wishes there was better signposting at the polling sites. 

 

Vanessa Gary is a voter at the Unified for Success Academy. She found a ride to vote despite her car being in the shop and wanted to make sure it was in person. “I’m an OG, I’m 47, I don’t wanna vote in the mail, I wanna go punch the little thing and get my sticker, I don’t wanna have my sticker mailed to me.” On the final day of voting in California, Gary made sure her voice was heard. “Voting is major. Period” she added, “Especially if you’re black or a woman.”

 

 

 

Reporters Qinghui Kong and Manish Kanal reporting from West Oakland this evening.

Another “joyful” update from Poplar Street

Michelle Pred, from Joy to the Polls, wants to inspire people to be “happy and joyful” while voting. She says musical vans like this one are going to be all over the country. 

“Let’s change our country,” Pred said.  She’s going to be at the election watch party happening tonight at Oscar Grant Plaza and is looking forward to it.  

“We want to be prepared for whichever way this goes and we want to do it in a positive way.”

 

-Reported by Manish Khanal and Qinghui Kong 

 

 

 

 

Report from Poplar Street

Tahirah Rasheed with the Oakland Wide Awakes came to Poplar Street to vote.  She is born and raised in West Oakland and says she’s been encouraging people.

“People think their vote doesn’t matter and it’s absolutely essential,” she said. 

Rasheed says it’s not just the presidential election that’s important, there are lots of local issues as well. She’s most concerned about ending homelessness, a big issue in this area. She says they are less than a mile away from the Wood Street encampment.

“Those people living tents and trailers and being evicted,” she added. 

Rasheed says she cares about her neighborhood and wants to buy a house here so she can continue to live in West Oakland.

-Reported by Manish Khanal, Qinghui Kong and Sabrina Kharrazi 

A funky dispatch from West Oakland

Video dispatch from @manishonthebeat @qinghuikk
in West Oakland, where the Kapor Center is holding a celebration: #Election2020 #ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/nupJzCmUlc

— Oakland North (@northoaklandnow) November 4, 2020

 

The organization Kapor Center wants to celebrate voting. Jeanette Jordan, the communications officer, says voting usually conjures up long lines and historic disenfranchisement. This campaign aims to change that perception in West Oakland. 

This “Smash the Vote” campaign melds voting stations, food trucks, community art and music.  Jordan says they want voting to be fun. “Why can’t we bring that vibe to the voting experience.”

-Reported by Manish Khanal, Qinghui Kong and Sabrina Kharrazi 

Dispatch from Soldiertown

John, an Oakland resident who declined to give his last name, said the voting process so far has been easy.

“It’s a good thing to be able to exercise your right [to vote],” he said. John was an Uber driver for 5 years and feels very strongly about voting “No on 22.”

He believes it’s wrong for people who work full-time to not receive benefits. “Everybody deserves to have benefits from their employer,” John said. “As an employee you pay for your own car, pay maintenance for the car, all the expenses are on you.”

When it comes to waiting for a decision, he puts his faith in God.

“Whatever happens, happens according to God’s will.”

-Reported by Manish Khanal and Qinghui Kong

More from the Warriors’ polling station

Amanda Cooper and Maxine Webb, volunteers with the activist group Oakland Rising, are handing out Oakland Progressive Voter Guides. They were doing “election protection” earlier in the day but Cooper says everything is going “very well, it’s working.”

California ballots are notoriously thick with dozens of propositions. “We figured we’d be here in case anyone’s confused or needs help.” Cooper lost her first ballot but got a replacement one quickly. She made sure she put it in a ballot drop box earlier.

“It was the most COVID-safe thing to do,” she says.

Cooper doesn’t expect the presidential results to be announced today.  Webb says she’s too young to vote but being out here was less stressful than staying at home.

-Reported by Manish Khanal and Qinghui Kong 

Dispatch from the Golden State Warriors polling station

Simran and Adam, two volunteers with the non-partisan Election Defenders, said the are standing across the street from the Golden State Warriors polling location.  

“We just want to makes sure that everyone whose here can vote safely and cast their ballot,” Simran said. “We are ready to encourage you and cheer you on.” 

The volunteers, which are stationed in several locations around Oakland, are handing out snacks, water, candy, hand sanitizer and face masks to voters. The team at the Warriors polling place is roughly 12 people, Adam said, with a relief crew coming in the evening. 

“We are here to protect the voting process,” he said. “We are looking in case there are people who want to disrupt we are trained to help in that kind of situation in a de-escalating fashion.” 

So far only one person has “got people’s attention”—  an unmasked individual who made allegedly made disparaging comments to voters. Otherwise “It’s been relatively calm,” Simran said.

-Reported by Manish Khanal and Qinghui Kong 

Undecided on a Proposition? Looking for where to vote? Read some of our earlier election coverage:

Oakland Coliseum gets new life as ‘Election Super Center’

CA Proposition 15 could bring millions to Oakland Schools, new burdens to businesses, tax assessors

Oakland voters weigh in on rent control

Ballot measure could increase OUSD teacher diversity, draw legal challenges

Update on ballots

The county registrar’s office mailed more than 965,000 ballots to voters in Alameda County this year. And according to the website, registered voters have filled out and returned more than 620,000 of them already, that’s almost 64%. 

Voters have been able to drop off their ballots at 24 hour drop boxes as well as “drop stops,” where they can hand them off to poll workers. They could also mail back their ballots. 

All those votes, as well as in person votes cast today, will be counted tonight after polls close at 8pm. 

More from Joaquin Miller

Bryan and Chris, two voters who declined to give their last names, visited Joaquin Miller Community Center to cast their votes. The Woodminster natives expressed excitement for change and their first trip to the new voting site.

“If you want change, you wanna see something different, you gotta vote,” said Bryan.

Despite high numbers of early voting throughout the state, Bryan and Chris chose to vote in person. This decision, Bryan said, offered him more time to look over his ballot and make final decisions. He filled out his ballot over the course of two days. Chris emphasized the importance of reading over the propositions.

“I think reading those propositions closely is so important, and really understanding both sides,” she said.

She mentioned Prop 15 as one of the important measures that caught her interest. As they were leaving, Bryan expressed how he’s approaching the next few days: “All you can do is go out and vote and make the best of it, and prepare for whatever may happen.”

-Reported by Lesley Torres and Noah Baustin

Dispatch from Joaquin Miller Community Center

At the Joaquin Miller Community Center, 59 people had voted as of noon on Election Day. The site is staffed by 16 election workers as check in stations and polling machines sit waiting for the next voter.

Edgar Jackson, the site captain, notes that the lull in voters might be due to the midday lunchtime. During the early voting period at the site 36 people voted on Monday, less than 20 on Sunday, and 27 more on Saturday. 

Vicki Randle, 65, is a poll worker at the community center and has worked in the past three election cycles. She also got to vote where she works. 

“It was really easy” she said. “I could take all the time I wanted!”

As an election worker and voter, Randle said that it’s vitally important to be involved in the democratic process. “It’s always been extremely important to me, as an African American woman, voting is a big deal.”

She has memories of her father not being able to vote because of his skin color. In the 1960s, her and her family used to dress up to visit their polling place in Orange County. Now, she feels her vote and work at the polling place is more important than ever.

“This is where I live, I get a say,” she said.

-Reported by Lesley Torres and Noah Baustin

 

Need language assistance for #Election2020? Poll workers at Oakland Technical High School speak English, Spanish & Mandarin.

You can also find ballots in Burmese, Hindi, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Punjabi, Telugu, Mongolian & Mien. #ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/e46Cz93WFk

— Oakland North (@northoaklandnow) November 3, 2020

 

 

More from Evergreen Baptist

 

Janine Bogart has worked in politics for 15 years, and this year she’s running Dan Kalb’s campaign for city council. Bogart and Igor Tregub, a campaign volunteer, are spending election day outside Evergreen Baptist Church. 

“It is a wonder to see how many more people voted early, however we still need the polls,” said Bogart. “There are people that in spite of the pandemic are excited about this election.”

Tregub has been making calls to voters in swing states across the country. Often the last call voters take before going to the polls, Tregub said that the conversations with undecided votes often make an important difference. The pair have seen an outpouring of support from the community thus far. 

-Reported by Lesley Torres and Noah Baustin

Burrito-related dispatch from Evergreen Baptist

At Evergreen Baptist Church, voters are receiving something a little extra after casting their ballot: a burrito.

Miguel Escobedo works at Al Pastor Papi, a food truck in San Francisco. He’s driving around polling places in Alameda County this morning handing out food to voters. The program is part of World Central Kitchen’s ‘Chef’s for The Polls’ program. For Escobedo, the burritos are an “encouragement or thank you for being part of this super important election.”

Escobedo was anticipating long lines before heading out, but he still feels that those choosing to vote in person deserve appreciation.

“Any positive action is needed,” he said.

-Reported by Lesley Torres and Noah Baustin

 

Video dispatch from Noah and Lesley

 

More from Oakland Tech

Oakland Technical High School is one of the 100 Accessible Vote Locations open to voters in Alameda County. The site has been open since Saturday, when most people were just dropping off ballots. Since then, voter numbers have increased as more people are going inside to fill out ballots. So far things are “smooth sailing,” according Alycia Young, Captain of the Oakland High voting site.

As of Tuesday morning, there is no line at the school and voters have the option of either filling out a paper ballot or voting on a touch screen machine. Even if someone doesn’t see their name when checking in, they are still able to vote.

“We don’t deny anyone the right to vote,” said Young.

-Reported by Lesley Torres and Noah Baustin

 

Dispatch from Oakland Technical High School

 

Voters are heading to the polls this morning across Oakland, and some are casting ballots for the first time. Leedia Tesfay, 24, is a first-time voter at Oakland Technical High.

“Last time [2016] I thought it was a joke, but I was like OK it’s not a joke anymore,” she said. Tesfay, a Piedmont resident, said she felt empowered after casting her vote. After doing research on the different propositions and visiting in person she said it was a good experienced overall.

“I feel empowered…I want power to go to the people, and this is one way to do it.”

-Reported by Lesley Torres and Noah Baustin

Here’s where you can vote in Oakland:

 

How Oakland North is planning on covering the election

Happy election day everyone.

Oakland North will be covering the election all day on this live blog. We will have reporters out in the field from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. talking to voters at polling places across the city, from as far north as Montera Middle to as far south as Brookfield Elementary.

We’ll also be keeping an eye on social media and monitoring other news websites throughout the day and night to see if anything pops up, including protests, long lines, glitches or just general election day hijinks.

My name is Ari Sen and I am Oakland North’s site editor this week. I’ll be joined by fellow site editor Michelle Pitcher, desk editor Zachary Fletcher, social media managers Tamera Moore and Bashirah Mack and writer/photographers Kenneth Kipruto, Lesley Torres, Manish Khanal, Noah Baustin, Qinghui Kong and Sabrina Kharrazi.

Stay tuned for updates.

–Ari